Health and wealth: Let the YMCA be a local resource (Community Voices)

Emerson once said, “The first wealth is health.” I could not agree with him more. But if you look at stark numbers, in Emerson’s eyes, we would now be far from being a wealthy nation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of American children and young adults between the ages of two and 19 are obese, and sadly, over one-third of America’s adult population is also obese. Each year, more than 13,000 children are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, while adults with diabetes now make up almost one tenth of our population. These stark numbers are rising.

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